To prepare you as best we can for your week of Fantasy Football, we've devised this series of previews for each NFL game. We'll give you a taste of what to expect, then rank each significant Fantasy contributor on a scale from 0-5 logos (with five logos suggesting can't-miss; a player or unit without any logos suggests you probably shouldn't start him under any circumstances). The rankings take the matchup into account, but injuries and other significant factors also contribute. You should be able to compare the ratings for the players on your team and make an educated pick on who should start -- and sit -- in your lineup .
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Texans at Eagles - Thursday, 8:20 p.m. | | |||||
| This is a tough matchup for the Texans, but they've seen their fair share of tough matchups this year and should be at least moderately competitive. With Philly's coverage tilted toward Andre Johnson, expect the Texans to lean heavily on Arian Foster both as a rusher and a receiver. There's also a winning matchup with Joel Dreessen here, particularly if he lands single coverage on a linebacker instead of safety Nate Allen. Matt Schaub should be able to handle the blitz, but the Eagles' defense plays better at home and should get a boost with cornerback Asante Samuel returning. If he's on Johnson and drawing help, it's going to be hard for Schaub (a Philadelphia native) to move the ball downfield. The Eagles offense should operate seamlessly here against a Texans defense that was impressive last week in bullying a rookie third-string quarterback. It's the only time this season Houston's defense has looked good, and they'll have a devil of a time trying to contain Michael Vick and his receiving targets. Mismatches all over the place here for the Eagles to exploit, so count on a big game from pretty much anyone with wings on his helmet. DeSean Jackson's matchup against cornerback Glover Quin looks especially enticing. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Matt Schaub | | QB | Michael Vick | | |
| Arian Foster | | RB | LeSean McCoy | | |
| Derrick Ward | RB | Jerome Harrison | |||
| Andre Johnson | | WR | Jeremy Maclin | | |
| Kevin Walter | WR | DeSean Jackson | | ||
| Joel Dreessen | | TE | Brent Celek | | |
| Neil Rackers | | K | David Akers | | |
| Texans | DST | Eagles | | ||
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Redskins at Giants - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. | | |||||
| The Giants haven't allowed a passing touchdown in two weeks, which should tell you everything you need to know about Donovan McNabb's chances to play well. Where the Giants have been susceptible over the last couple of weeks is on the ground, where they've allowed four touchdowns (two to running backs, two to quarterbacks). McNabb can shake and bake a little bit when need be but he's not reliable for rushing scores, and with his receiving corps thin and banged up there's not much hope here. Keiland Williams remains the Redskins' best rushing option and he kind of fits in the mold of the type of running back that's busted the Giants the last two weeks (small, stocky, versatile). He might be able to find the end zone if James Davis doesn't steal too many touches. McNabb's great history against the Giants while with Philadelphia will only help him go so far, especially with his offensive line giving up 15 sacks over their last four games. The Giants' running tandem should be all they need to escape one more week without Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith. Every rusher that's faced Washington over the last three weeks has put up numbers, and it's hard not to expect Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to be productive. That takes pressure off of Eli Manning; he could still hook up with Kevin Boss for a score, but his receiving corps shouldn't put up a huge day -- yes, even against these Redskins. If DeAngelo Hall is on Mario Manningham, then perhaps Derek Hagan could find the end zone but would otherwise be a bust. Boss is a great tight end option for Week 13. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Donovan McNabb | | QB | Eli Manning | | |
| Keiland Williams | | RB | Brandon Jacobs | | |
| James Davis | RB | Ahmad Bradshaw | | ||
| Santana Moss | | WR | Mario Manningham | | |
| Anthony Armstrong | WR | Derek Hagan | | ||
| Chris Cooley | | TE | Kevin Boss | | |
| Graham Gano | | K | Lawrence Tynes | | |
| Redskins | | DST | Giants | | |
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49ers at Packers - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. | | |||||
| Hard to expect anyone to strike it big here for the 49ers. Chances are they'll attempt to establish the run with Brian Westbrook and Anthony Dixon, but that offensive line is in for a huge test against the Packers' defensive front. It's not a good matchup for the running backs. Look for the Niners to try and get Vernon Davis going early here -- he scored in each of his two games against the Packers, including last year where they couldn't properly cover him with linebackers and nickelbacks. We could see Charles Woodson take some snaps against Davis, though Michael Crabtree might also see a lot of Woodson. It wouldn't be a shock to see the Packers not blitz heavily on third downs and play back in coverage looking for a Troy Smith interception. Green Bay should do what it does best: Pass the football. Not only is it really the only option given the state of its run game, but it plays right into the weakness of the 49ers defense. The Packers should be able to overpower the Niners with multi-receiver sets and put up some points. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Troy Smith | | QB | Aaron Rodgers | | |
| Brian Westbrook | | RB | Brandon Jackson | | |
| Anthony Dixon | | RB | John Kuhn | ||
| Michael Crabtree | | WR | Greg Jennings | | |
| Josh Morgan | WR | James Jones | | ||
| Ted Ginn Jr. | WR | Jordy Nelson | | ||
| Vernon Davis | | TE | Andrew Quarless | ||
| Joe Nedney | | K | Mason Crosby | | |
| 49ers | DST | Packers | | ||
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Broncos at Chiefs - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. | | |||||
| The last time these teams met, the Broncos embarrassed the Chiefs pass defense. There is no doubt that with the Chargers nipping at the Chiefs' heels, Todd Haley will have his team ready to roll and not get caught off guard like they did a few weeks ago. That said, the Broncos should still be able to operate effectively as the Chiefs' pass defense suffered several lapses last week at Seattle without cornerback Brandon Flowers. Even if he's back there's a question as to how well he'll play as he was on the field for the earlier 2010 meeting. Bottom line is that Kyle Orton will be able to target Brandon Lloyd deep and Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney and Knowshon Moreno in the short-range area. Keep an eye on tight end Dan Gronkowski and wideout Eric Decker -- both played last week and could be easy outlets for Orton. Denver's offense isn't the only prolific one in this game as the Chiefs have been rolling for weeks. In fact, since Cassel woke up in a come-from-behind effort against the Broncos, he's been on fire with 10 touchdowns, 895 yards, no interceptions and a much improved 64.2 completion percentage in his last three outings. With Andre Goodman and Brian Dawkins not a part of the Broncos' starting secondary come Sunday, and playing at home to boot, there's no reason to believe Cassel won't keep his strong play going. There's also no reason to believe that the Chiefs' run game won't wallop the Broncos here. The only reason Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones didn't put up big stats in the earlier meeting was because the Chiefs fell behind and had to throw over 50 times. Look for Kansas City to try and control the clock better and run more often. Both backs should be useful, with Charles finally well ahead of Jones as far as production and expectations go. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Kyle Orton | | QB | Matt Cassel | | |
| Knowshon Moreno | | RB | Jamaal Charles | | |
| Lance Ball | RB | Thomas Jones | | ||
| Brandon Lloyd | | WR | Dwayne Bowe | | |
| Jabar Gaffney | | WR | Chris Chambers | ||
| Eddie Royal | | WR | Terrance Copper | ||
| Dan Gronkowski | TE | Tony Moeaki | | ||
| Matt Prater | | K | Ryan Succop | | |
| Broncos | | DST | Chiefs | | |
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Bears at Lions - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. | | |||||
| Lately the Bears have run more than passed the ball, a huge surprise given the offensive coordinator. Expect it to continue here as Matt Forte has regularly pounded the Lions. In each of his last four games against Detroit, Forte has either had 100-plus yards rushing or receiving, including a 151-yard, two-touchdown game in Week 1. Additionally, he's scored five times over his last five in the series. The Bears will ride him and let Cutler make plays off of play-action and bootlegs. You can be sure they'll try some deep passes after the Patriots rocked cornerback Alphonso Smith on Thanksgiving. Drew Stanton will take over as the Lions' quarterback and try to tame the Bears' pass defense. With the pass rush coming after him and his accuracy a huge issue, this could be a tough week for the Lions' receivers. Calvin Johnson will still see targets -- Stanton knows to get him involved -- but everyone else for the Lions is a bona fide risk. Figure that the Lions will have a hard time moving the ball regardless here, but the run game is almost certain to be halted either by the defense or the one-sided score. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Jay Cutler | | QB | Drew Stanton | | |
| Matt Forte | | RB | Maurice Morris | | |
| Chester Taylor | | RB | Jahvid Best | | |
| Johnny Knox | | WR | Calvin Johnson | | |
| Earl Bennett | | WR | Nate Burleson | | |
| Greg Olsen | | TE | Brandon Pettigrew | | |
| Robbie Gould | | K | Dave Rayner | | |
| Bears | | DST | Lions | | |
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Browns at Dolphins - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. | | |||||
| Isn't it something that nobody has found a way to slow down Peyton Hillis? His worst game to date was at Pittsburgh when he totaled 90 yards. The Dolphins will try to solve Hillis this week, and while they stopped Darren McFadden in his tracks last week, this task will be tough. Hillis, thanks in big part to his offensive line and fullback, has steamrolled pretty much everybody, and the Dolphins should struggle with him here. The other positive for the Browns is that as defenses key in on Hillis, it leaves their receivers in single coverage. No one is starting any Browns receivers, but it's worth noting that Cleveland got four receptions out of Mohamed Massaquoi in each of his last two games and that Brian Robiskie caught seven passes last Sunday. With Jake Delhomme under center, this team could begin growing a bit more confidence in their pass attack and might eyeball Massaquoi's matchup with Miami cornerback Sean Smith. Meanwhile, the Browns' run defense has gone south over the last two weeks due in part to some injuries. The Dolphins are sure to attack there, giving some opportunities to Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Hard to expect big things from them, but easy to expect the offense to run through them. Miami should be able to utilize the pass once the run is established and could especially find the going good for Davone Bess if he's in the slot and up against Browns cornerback Eric Wright or nickelback Ray Ventrone (Brandon Marshall would have to return for Bess to line up in the slot). | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Jake Delhomme | | QB | Chad Henne | | |
| Peyton Hillis | | RB | Ronnie Brown | | |
| Mike Bell | RB | Ricky Williams | | ||
| Mohamed Massaquoi | | WR | Davone Bess | | |
| Brian Robiskie | WR | Brandon Marshall | | ||
| Chansi Stuckey | WR | Brian Hartline | | ||
| Benjamin Watson | | TE | Anthony Fasano | | |
| Phil Dawson | | K | Dan Carpenter | | |
| Browns | | DST | Dolphins | | |
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Saints at Bengals - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. | | |||||
| With no pass rush to speak of, the Bengals are going to have a hard time with Drew Brees. Anytime you give a passer all day to throw you're going to get beat, and even with Cincinnati's secondary getting healthier, you have to like the Saints' chances to move downfield at will. They don't even need Pierre Thomas back -- Chris Ivory's been playing so well and has such a good matchup here that Thomas' role will likely be limited, if he's even activated. This should be a situation where the Saints build a big lead and then use the run to keep it. That would suggest that the Bengals will wind up passing, which is a very likely result. But they'll give Cedric Benson every opportunity to have a good game as the Saints' run defense continues to meander and a good run game keeps Brees sidelined. He might deliver some decent stats but don't expect a miracle. And if the Bengals fall behind, again, then it's going to be on Carson Palmer to put up some points against a stingy Saints secondary that actually matches up fairly well here. I actually have a hunch that Jordan Shipley finds a way to keep some Bengals drives alive just because of his matchup against the Saints' nickelback. It could be another long, tough week for the Bengals. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Drew Brees | | QB | Carson Palmer | | |
| Chris Ivory | | RB | Cedric Benson | | |
| Reggie Bush | | RB | Brian Leonard | ||
| Marques Colston | | WR | Terrell Owens | | |
| Lance Moore | | WR | Chad Ochocinco | | |
| Robert Meachem | | WR | Jordan Shipley | | |
| Jeremy Shockey | | TE | Jermaine Gresham | | |
| Garrett Hartley | | K | Clint Stitser | ||
| Saints | | DST | Bengals | | |
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Jaguars at Titans - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. | | |||||
| Maurice Jones-Drew has been running the ball really well of late, and he should be given every opportunity to keep it going against the Titans. Tennessee's defensive front has been smacked by the injury bug and opposing running backs alike, so look for the Jags to really lean on Jones-Drew to give their offense a push. Mike Sims-Walker should be expected to do the opposite -- he's struggled over his career with cornerback Cortland Finnegan covering him (his only good game against the Titans came when Finnegan was injured), and Finnegan will likely play with a chip on his shoulder given the attention he got last week for fighting with Andre Johnson. Throw in Sims-Walker's bum ankle and you've got a reason to expect him to be minimized. Marcedes Lewis and Mike Thomas should be able to pick up the slack along with David Garrard getting away from the Titans pass rush and making plays on his legs. You can't call this matchup a lay-up for Tennessee: A banged-up Kerry Collins will line up under center against a Jaguars defensive line that hasn't been terrible of late. For Tennessee to get Chris Johnson going again, they'll need the offensive line to contain the Jags' newfound young defensive tackle duo. They'll also need to give Johnson more than seven carries. Look for the Titans to re-dedicate the offense to Johnson and run a slightly run-favored plan even though the Jags' secondary has been bad for much of the year. Aside from Nate Washington, there's no one to count on from the Titans' passing game. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| David Garrard | | QB | Kerry Collins | | |
| Maurice Jones-Drew | | RB | Chris Johnson | | |
| Rashad Jennings | | RB | Javon Ringer | ||
| Mike Thomas | | WR | Nate Washington | | |
| Mike Sims-Walker | | WR | Randy Moss | ||
| Marcedes Lewis | | TE | Bo Scaife | ||
| Josh Scobee | | K | Rob Bironas | | |
| Jaguars | | DST | Titans | | |
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Bills at Vikings - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. | | |||||
| Expect Buffalo to wind up rushing as little and passing as much as they did last week against the Steelers. The Vikings' defense has the same strengths as the Steelers, albeit they're much weaker in the backfield and Steve Johnson should be able to atone for his ridiculous drops last week. Keep an eye on Bills receiver David Nelson, who is seeing more opportunities than Lee Evans. As for Fred Jackson, his matchup is a challenge but he typically sees so many touches that he ends up with decent stats by default. Expect the Vikings to be run-heavy here for a number of reasons: To keep Brett Favre fresh, to utilize their offensive line and to take advantage of the matchup. If Adrian Peterson is active, look for him to end up splitting reps with Toby Gerhart -- both should be okay. If Peterson is out, Gerhart will get every opportunity to make the most of 20-plus touches and should end up with a really strong stat line. Even with his limited experience and the Vikes' O-line not even close to 100 percent (but close enough to push around the Bills), the Vikings should run wild. Favre won't have to pass as much, but when he does he'll love the matchup for tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | | QB | Brett Favre | | |
| Fred Jackson | | RB | Adrian Peterson | | |
| Quinton Ganther | RB | Toby Gerhart | | ||
| Steve Johnson | | WR | Percy Harvin | | |
| David Nelson | | WR | Sidney Rice | | |
| David Martin | TE | Visanthe Shiancoe | | ||
| Rian Lindell | | K | Ryan Longwell | | |
| Bills | | DST | Vikings | | |
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Raiders at Chargers - Sunday, 4:05 p.m. | | |||||
| This matchup is really good for the Chargers, as they can capitalize with their cornerbacks against the Raiders' young receivers, contain tight end Zach Miller with a linebacker or a safety and focus everything else on stopping Darren McFadden or rattling Jason Campbell. The Raiders were able to beat the Chargers earlier in the year with a big dose of their run game (with Michael Bush, not McFadden) but also got two touchdowns from the defense and special teams (one each). The Chargers have cleaned up those phases and should have the talent and scheme to keep the Raiders in check. If McFadden can get rolling again, that will go a long way for Oakland. The Chargers have been running the ball well lately and should be able to keep it up against the Raiders, who have allowed four total touchdowns to running backs over their last two games. If not for a hand injury, Mike Tolbert would be a candidate for 100 total yards and a touchdown, though he should still end up with close to that if he plays. Ryan Mathews' return could temper Tolbert's totals further, but the big guy is still a great running back to trust this week. And the Chargers will need that ground game going because Vincent Jackson is out and Antonio Gates might not play. If Gates goes he should have a shot to score, but if he's out that chance could end up landing in Malcom Floyd's lap -- if he's healthy. Suffice to say, the matchup would be outstanding for Philip Rivers if his receiving corps wasn't loaded with sprains, strains and torn fascia. It all might end up boosting the totals for Nate Kaeding. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Jason Campbell | | QB | Philip Rivers | | |
| Darren McFadden | | RB | Mike Tolbert | | |
| Michael Bush | | RB | Darren Sproles | | |
| Jacoby Ford | | WR | Seyi Ajirotutu | | |
| Louis Murphy | WR | Legedu Naanee | | ||
| Darrius Heyward-Bey | WR | Malcom Floyd | | ||
| Zach Miller | | TE | Antonio Gates | | |
| Sebastian Janikowski | | K | Nate Kaeding | | |
| Raiders | | DST | Chargers | | |
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Rams at Cardinals - Sunday, 4:15 p.m. | | |||||
| Sam Bradford is playing great ball right now (10 touchdowns, one interception over his last five) and he's helped along by a decent receiving corps and a semblance of a run game provided by Steven Jackson. With the Cardinals banged up badly and on a short week, we could see the best from Bradford yet. The only catch is that he's been passing a lot, and if the Cardinals come out flat he might not need to throw much. Bank on that not happening as Arizona can still rally in the NFC West and can get a jump on that by beating the first-place Rams. I especially like Danario Alexander's matchup with Arizona second-string cornerback Mike Adams -- that could be a winner for Bradford. Jackson's rushing performances haven't been great lately (just one touchdown and two 100-total-yard games in his last five), but as a fellow football observer who watched the Cardinals' game last week pointed out, the Cardinals defense has a "gooey soft center" that can be exploited. Jackson should be counted on to get back on track. How do the Cardinals respond? They'll try to run and end up throwing, just as they've done in their last few games. Larry Fitzgerald scored on the Rams in Week 1 and has actually found the end zone in four straight games against St. Louis, so you have to like him here, but the rest of the Cardinals offense is too unreliable to expect big things. Offensive line issues, running back issues, quarterback issues -- an argument can't be made for anyone but Fitzgerald to start in Fantasy. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Sam Bradford | | QB | Derek Anderson | | |
| Steven Jackson | | RB | Beanie Wells | | |
| Kenneth Darby | RB | Tim Hightower | | ||
| Danario Alexander | | WR | Larry Fitzgerald | | |
| Danny Amendola | | WR | Steve Breaston | | |
| Daniel Fells | | TE | Jim Dray | ||
| Josh Brown | | K | Jay Feely | | |
| Rams | | DST | Cardinals | | |
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Cowboys at Colts - Sunday, 4:15 p.m. | | |||||
| If there ever was a game for Jason Garrett to order 30-plus runs, this would be it. Indy's run defense has been among the worst in the league and there's no doubt that the Cowboys will try to exploit it. There could be some returning linebackers for the Colts, though, so between that and Felix Jones' inability to find the end zone, it will take some guts to roll with him or Tashard Choice this week. I happen to love Choice as a sleeper worth stashing on your bench for the rest of the season. The reality here is that the Cowboys might not want to pass a lot but will have to because their defense won't be able to hold back Peyton Manning like the Chargers did last week. It's a tough matchup for Dallas' receivers -- you should expect good things from Miles Austin but Dez Bryant was shockingly held statless last week and seems risky going up against a disciplined Colts secondary that shut out Philip Rivers in Week 12. The Colts wish they had the running backs the Cowboys had right now, especially healthy ones, because their ground game has been brutal. Even if Joseph Addai comes back, figure that they'll limit his reps and wind up passing. That's where the matchup is best for them, and that's where Peyton Manning obviously does his best work. Pierre Garcon is beginning to show signs of breaking out as he's landed five catches in each of his last three games and his yardage has improved weekly. His matchup against Terence Newman could be good, and obviously Blair White also has an appealing matchup when he's in the game and covered by a linebacker or a nickelback. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Jon Kitna | | QB | Peyton Manning | | |
| Felix Jones | | RB | Donald Brown | | |
| Tashard Choice | | RB | Javarris James | ||
| Miles Austin | | WR | Reggie Wayne | | |
| Dez Bryant | | WR | Blair White | | |
| Roy E. Williams | | WR | Pierre Garcon | | |
| Jason Witten | | TE | Jacob Tamme | | |
| David Buehler | | K | Adam Vinatieri | | |
| Cowboys | | DST | Colts | | |
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Panthers at Seahawks - Sunday, 4:15 p.m. | | |||||
| This game is loaded with players with great matchups, but risky for Fantasy purposes. Let's hope that John Fox has his troops believing they can win in Seattle, because they can. The Seahawks' run defense is so awful right now that Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson shouldn't have too much trouble picking up chunks of yardage. Stewart is expected to start, and sure his matchup is good and he's from that area, but it could be hard to trust him. You might have to be a little desperate to go with him; Goodson is easier to roll with given his three straight games with at least 100 total yards. There's even a shot for Steve Smith (remember him) to get a big play or two in. If the Seahawks get sucked into the run, Jimmy Clausen will have some chances to throw downfield against this average secondary and look for Smith to blow past cornerback Kelly Jennings in coverage. Again, a longshot like Stewart, but if you're desperate he might give you something. The Seahawks aren't the only ones with a weak run defense as Carolina's is nothing to write home about either. Seattle will look to finally get their running backs going against a defense that's allowed seven rushing touchdowns over their last four games. Justin Forsett and Marshawn Lynch aren't bad here even though they'll split with each other. But yet again, how easily can they be trusted in Fantasy? If anything, the Seahawks can start with the run and then ride Matt Hasselbeck's arm for bigger gains. If Mike Williams plays, he's a decent option. If he's out, then Ben Obomanu seems to be the guy. Just note that the Panthers secondary, without the benefit of a good pass rush, is playing halfway decent ball this season and might not have a tough time matching up with Seattle's receivers. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Jimmy Clausen | | QB | Matt Hasselbeck | | |
| Mike Goodson | | RB | Justin Forsett | | |
| Jonathan Stewart | | RB | Marshawn Lynch | | |
| Steve Smith | | WR | Ben Obomanu | | |
| Brandon LaFell | WR | Brandon Stokley | | ||
| Dante Rosario | TE | John Carlson | |||
| John Kasay | | K | Olindo Mare | | |
| Panthers | | DST | Seahawks | | |
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Falcons at Buccaneers - Sunday, 4:15 p.m. | | |||||
| The Falcons' two best plans for this game should end up being to run the ball and attack the deep middle of the Bucs' secondary. With Tampa Bay down to their third-string free safety, there's going to be plenty of opportunities for Tony Gonzalez to make some plays. Though he's unlikely to break a long catch for a score like Todd Heap last week, Gonzalez should still be able to be a friendly target for Matt Ryan. Otherwise, look for a big day from Michael Turner as he looks to post another 100-yard game with at least one end zone visit. Roddy White typically doesn't get a lot of yards against the Buccaneers but should still find the end zone like Turner. Figure that Tampa Bay's run game will struggle here as the Bucs lost arguably their best lineman for the year in guard Davin Joseph and will face a strong Falcons run defense. Josh Freeman should be able to make some plays and the matchup for Kellen Winslow against the Falcons' safeties isn't bad at all. We've seen Winslow begin to get more work lately too, so he should be involved. Mike Williams has slowed down a little and might not have the benefit of a 58-yard catch-and-run like he did in the game at Atlanta to help Fantasy owners this week. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Matt Ryan | | QB | Josh Freeman | | |
| Michael Turner | | RB | LeGarrette Blount | | |
| Jason Snelling | | RB | Cadillac Williams | | |
| Roddy White | | WR | Mike Williams | | |
| Tony Gonzalez | | TE | Kellen Winslow | | |
| Matt Bryant | | K | Connor Barth | | |
| Falcons | | DST | Buccaneers | | |
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Steelers at Ravens - Sunday, 8:20 p.m. | | |||||
| Expect the intensity to be ramped up here as this is essentially a playoff game. It's hard to love Ben Roethlisberger this week: He's got a bum foot, his game last week against the Bills left a lot to be desired and the Ravens' secondary has settled down over the last two weeks (granted, it wasn't against strong-passing offenses, but still). Roethlisberger has one touchdown in five of his last six against the Ravens, and you'd have to go back to the first time he ever got on an NFL field in 2004 to find the last time he had multiple passing touchdowns in Baltimore. That said, it's typically been the speed receiver for the Steelers to find the end zone against the Ravens, so look for Mike Wallace to be that guy here. Hines Ward had a great game last week because the Bills laid deep coverage on Wallace and took him away from Big Ben. The Ravens are more likely to tilt coverage toward Wallace and still properly contain Ward. You can expect both running backs to be in for a tough time but Rashard Mendenhall has the edge over Ray Rice because he's better between the tackles and doesn't get pulled for goal-line work like Rice does. Rice hasn't been a frequent end zone visitor anyway, and the Steelers are getting healthier on their defensive line. That suggests that Joe Flacco will have to win this one for Baltimore, and considering his play at home and his improved receiving corps, he should do it. Remember, that doesn't mean big stats necessarily, but it means that he can give the Ravens a good passing threat and make the Steelers' secondary pay, much like in Week 4 when he hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh for the game-winning touchdown. That play wasn't there for Flacco in the past, and now that Flacco is better and his receiving corps is better, there's hope this week for Anquan Boldin. He's a Raven specifically for the purpose of keeping defenses like the Steelers honest, and I like his matchup. He hasn't been targeted much in recent weeks, which explains his terrible production, and it's because Flacco hasn't had to. Expect Flacco to lean on Boldin more in this matchup, especially off of play-action and down-and-distance situations where the Ravens might run but end up passing. Ultimately, don't expect too many points in this one, leaving the kickers and the DSTs open for decent games. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Ben Roethlisberger | | QB | Joe Flacco | | |
| Rashard Mendenhall | | RB | Ray Rice | | |
| Mewelde Moore | RB | Willis McGahee | | ||
| Mike Wallace | | WR | Anquan Boldin | | |
| Hines Ward | | WR | Derrick Mason | | |
| Heath Miller | TE | Todd Heap | | ||
| Shaun Suisham | | K | Billy Cundiff | | |
| Steelers | | DST | Ravens | | |
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Jets at Patriots - Monday, 8:30 p.m. | | |||||
| Another great AFC rivalry game, also with big playoff ramifications. For a team that wants to run the ball, the Jets sure have been good passing. In their last four games, all against fair-to-poor run defenses, the Jets have seven passing touchdowns and three rushing scores, and none of the rushing scores are by an actual running back! Clearly, the Jets have confidence in their passing game and might wind up using three- and four-receiver sets to put the Patriots' nickel and dime defenses on the field and let Mark Sanchez throw. New England's secondary hasn't been entirely terrible, but the Jets should be able to find some mismatches to their liking. One such mismatch could involve tight end Dustin Keller against linebacker Brandon Spikes, who took on Brandon Pettigrew last week and let him have a pretty decent game. Another is Pats cornerback Kyle Arrington against the red-hot Santonio Holmes. Look for the Jets to utilize their running backs, but if they're going to win this one Sanchez will have to have a good game. The Patriots should also come out passing, which they typically do against strong run defenses. With that being the case, Tom Brady should put up pretty good numbers. Don't be surprised if the Patriots use a package with Brady in the shotgun, Danny Woodhead next to him, Rob Gronkowski on the line along with Alge Crumpler (who would be in as a blocker mainly) and Wes Welker and Deion Branch lined up wide. The Pats used such a formation on passing plays on Thanksgiving and it was difficult for the Lions to match up. Look for the Jets to have similar trouble since it's a formation the Pats can do virtually anything out of. Woodhead has a better shot this week than BenJarvus Green-Ellis simply because of the Pats' likelihood to throw more, or at least give the look that they'll throw and then give Woodhead the ball on the draw to throw off the Jets. One catch: Welker will likely see a lot of Darrelle Revis if only to take away one of Brady's best receivers. Welker lines up to the right quite a bit and Revis is most comfortable playing across from the Z receiver. Remember, Welker doesn't have Randy Moss to take Revis away from the play anymore, so he might be the one who gets held back a bit. That doesn't mean he can't line up elsewhere and find a short-area touchdown, though. | |||||
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating | |
| Mark Sanchez | | QB | Tom Brady | | |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | | RB | Danny Woodhead | | |
| Shonn Greene | | RB | BenJarvus Green-Ellis | | |
| Santonio Holmes | | WR | Wes Welker | | |
| Braylon Edwards | | WR | Deion Branch | | |
| Dustin Keller | | TE | Rob Gronkowski | | |
| Nick Folk | | K | Shayne Graham | | |
| Jets | | DST | Patriots | | |